Ruth Larson

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Ruth L. “Ruthie” (Helms) Larson, 70, of Kellogg, Idaho, passed away from this life on May 29, 2014 at the Shoshone Medical Center of Kellogg. Ruthie was born in Dallas, Texas on February 5, 1944, the younger of a set of fraternal twins with her brother, Roy, late of parts unknown. Ruthie was the daughter of Orville and Nancy (Lollis) Helms. She grew up in Dallas, Abilene, Odessa and Wichita Falls, Texas. Her mother Nancy Fay passed away in October of 1948, when Ruth and Roy were 4 years old; her father Orville Matthew, who had remarried some years later, passed in June of 1976.

Ruthie and Robert had known each other in high school, but they began their long romance in earnest while working together at Luby’s Cafeteria in Wichita Falls, Texas. They were married on July 30, 1961, when she was 17 and Robert 18. Robert was serving in the United States Navy when they married and the family moved around these United States over the course of his 22 plus years of service living in San Diego, Memphis, Oak Harbor (Washington), New Orleans, Pt. Mugu (California), Weymouth (Massachusetts) and he finally retired from service as a Chief Petty Officer in San Diego, where his proud Navy career had begun. They resettled in Robert’s hometown of Denison, Texas for a few years and the family moved to the Silver Valley from Texas in June of 1990.

Ruthie loved her family and friends dearly. She enjoyed long road trips, especially to somewhere new. She appreciated a dry sense of humor, enjoyed good country music, liked to go out for dinner (once in a while), camping (once in a longer while), cooking, summer picnics by the river, shooting the breeze while enjoying a fresh brewed iced tea, shooting the breeze while enjoying a fresh brew and was always up for just shooting the breeze! Ruthie also loved to tell stories about when she and her cousins were growing up in Texas, stories about her family life with ten step siblings, talking about things nostalgic, and always stories about her kids and her beloved Robert and his Navy pals. Through good times and bad, she always wore her trademark beautiful, “classic Ruthie” smile. Ruthie was a member of the Silver Valley Pen and Quill club of which she greatly enjoyed.

Ruthie is survived by her beloved husband of more than 52 years, Robert D. “Bob” Larson of the family home of Kellogg; her son James Larson and his wife of nearly 30 years Clare (Lisherness) of Marshfield, Massachusetts; her daughter Terrie and her husband Steve Critchfield who together just celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary of Osburn, Idaho, and her son John Larson who is the owner and operator of Shoshone Sweep and his fiance Sharon Vetter of Kellogg; three grandchildren Julie Anne Larson and Anne Marie Rose Larson both of Massachusetts, who lovingly called her “Mema” and Maggie and her husband Kendell Chapin of Silverton, Idaho; two great-grandsons Jordan and Jackson; she is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and a large group of beloved friends and family that encircles the entire country- from Idaho to Connecticut to Massachusetts to Texas to California and back again Ruthie was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers- her fraternal twin brother Roy Lee Helms and Jackie Douglas Helms and one sister Peggy Lucille Grisham.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, at 11:00 A.M. at the Kellogg Funeral Chapel of Kellogg, Idaho. Interment will be held at the Greenwood Cemetery of Kellogg.
The family suggests that memorials may be made to the charity of the Donor’s choice.

SHOSHONE FUNERAL SERVICES & CREMATORY KELLOGG, IDAHO is entrusted with funeral arrangements.

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